China denies visa to two researchers of India Foundation

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) China has denied visa to two researchers of a seven-member India Foundation delegation for visiting Fudan University in Shanghai.

China has also put the visa of India Foundation Director, Alok Bansal on hold.

Following the developments, India Foundation on Friday called off the visit.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, who is on the Board of Directors of India Foundation, denied media reports that he was denied visa by China but confirmed that visas of two of their researchers were rejected.

“I was not in the delegation. It was supposed to be an academic delegation. After the denial of visa to two researchers, Foundation called off the visit,” Madhav said in a tweet.

India Foundation and Fudan University held the third edition of their bilateral interaction in Delhi on December 4-5 last year. In continuation of this bilateral interaction agreement, a seven-member delegation of the Foundation was to visit Shanghai.

Alok Bansal, whose visa was put on hold, told the media: “No idea why the visa was denied. It’s the discretion of the Chinese government to give visa. It’s a shock because we didn’t think that visa would be a problem.”

“We had a word with Fudan University, they are disappointed. We will just wait for the clearance. Seeing the sudden developments on the border, the possibility of a hidden political vendetta cannot be denied,” he added.

The denial of visa to Indians comes amid rising tensions between the two countries due to a border stand-off.

Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jayant Sinha and M.J. Akbar are among the Board of Directors of India Foundation.